“Now look here!” exclaimed the man angrily. “You’ve been told once to keep away from here, and this is the second time. The next time you won’t hear us tell you. We’ll shoot without warning. And we won’t shoot you, either, for we think you’re here more out of curiosity than anything else, but we’ll shoot your horses, and you know what it means to be without a horse out here. So if you know what’s good for you, keep away.”
“Yes,” added another voice. “You’d better keep away from here, Jack Ranger, if you don’t want to get into trouble.”
“Oh, it’s you, is it, Jerry Chowden?” spoke our hero. “I wonder if your new friends know as much about you as we do?”
“Never you mind!” exclaimed Jerry quickly. “You mind your own business, and let me alone.”
“That’s what I’ve often wished you to do for me,” spoke Jack. “Do you know that there is a warrant out for your arrest if you ever come back in the neighborhood of Denton?”
Jerry gave a frightened look over his shoulder. The man who had halted the lads had stepped back into the bushes.
“You clear out of here, Jack Ranger. And you, too, Nat Anderson and the rest of the bunch!” snapped Jerry, and then he drew from his pocket a revolver.
“Look out, Jerry, that might go off,” remarked Jack with a laugh.
“Don’t you make fun of me!” ordered the bully. “I’m working here, and I’ve got authority to order you away.”
“That’s right, Jerry, tell ’em to vamoose,” added the man who had first spoken, as he again came into view. “We don’t want any spies around here.”